Thursday, January 31, 2013

is this FOR REAL the FOURTH year end wrap up i've done?! but in true mommy-of-two fashion, it is late, which is okay since i was in no hurry for 2012 to end. it was such a great year for us...

we kicked off the start of 2012 in oklahoma, which made this pregnant-at-the-time mommy VERY happy. being close to family is something that i hope NONE of you that have that luxury EVER take for granted. EVER.

in january, we tried out gymboree, but i soon realized that my pregnant self wasn't really up to the task of chasing around a 14 month old. we reconnected (randomly at gymboree i might add) with an old friend from high school (kristen) who has a little girl named journey that is five months older than b. these two little girls are so in love with each other and it totally melts me...until we have a meltdown about not getting to go to journey's house and then the cuteness wears off. at the end of the month b started "school" and i am BEYOND thankful for her mother's day out program and her teachers. she had no problems resting on her nap mat, which i had assured her teachers would be a complete disaster. she is such a little social butterfly that i had no idea why i thought it would be less than a success. i also started the mom's bible study at crossings and it has been SUCH an amazing blessing! i am so in love with all the girls in our group. good, good things happen there.

in february, we stumbled upon frontline church (which we found via the acts 29 network) and knew ten minutes into the sermon this was going to be our church home. for the first time in our lives, we have found true and honest gospel community with other people who love Jesus and want to share the truth and freedom he brings to our lives as much as we do. we got plugged in with a c group and they have become family. it is such a blessing!

in march, we celebrated our third wedding anniversary, and the TENTH year we had been a couple. we stayed in and cooked one of our all-time favorite meals and it was a perfect evening.

spring was filled with preparing a special place for graham. our sweet, sweet friends threw a darling shower and helped prevent g from being dressed in 100% pink. daddy wouldn't be too happy with that.

on may 5th at 12 am, i woke up feeling something was "different" with the baby and decided it was time to head to the hospital. our sweet, sweet friend marci (who has saved my bacon more times than i can remember!) came over and stayed at the house until the grandparents could get here. asher graham made his BIG debut at 9:05 am weighing 9 pounds 11 ounces and 21 inches long. PRAISE BE TO JESUS that he was ten days early otherwise this little mama could've had some serious problems pushing out what probably would've ended up being an 11 pounder. OUCH.

summer was HOT. luckily, having a small baby who i was sleep training kept us home and out of the heat (relatively speaking of course). and yes, i am going to brag on myself here: this sleep training nazi had her ten week old baby sleeping 10-12 hours. BAM. (and if this isn't you, don't be discouraged. brice didn't sleep through the night until she was almost six months. there's way less of a learning curve with the second one...)

july - september, we barely saw our daddy as he was working an average of 90 hours a week completing projects. we are so thankful to have a daddy that works hard to provide for us, but it is no fun when he is gone so much.

in august, we found out that we would be getting another niece or nephew, and since it has taken me so long to write this, it's almost that sweet little boy's birthday month! my cousin kevin and his darling wife christine are due at the end of february with a precious little boy who will be named robert michael.

once fall got here, things slowed down. we celebrated brice's second birthday and both littles kept growing like weeds. we made another new friend, elle, who has become the other missing piece to brice's little life. her mom, haylee, makes me smile and i am so thankful for their sweet little family.

our first thanksgiving back in oklahoma was so much fun as we spent ten days at home in fort gibson. christmas was spent at our house (santa doesn't go to grandma's house y'all) and with the exception of me being sick as a dog, it was a great day. brice got a kitchen that santa's favorite elf (her daddy, duh) made for her. (eventually that will get a blog post in itself, but i'm not making any promises on dates.)

reflecting back on 2012, my heart is filled with joy seeing how God has blessed us. we have made new friends and planted some deep roots. i can't even begin to express the joy i feel when i sit back and watch my sweet family grow. these kids have blessed us far beyond anything we could've ever imagined and our marriage continues to grow deeper and stronger.

2013 should be an exciting year as we are planning to build and really settle in. we have been so blessed to rent a lovely house in a fantastic location, but it's time to get somewhere more permanent. and yes, for those of you wondering, we'll probably get ready for number three sometime this summer. maybe. (today is a relatively easy day because b is at school, so i'm more likely to say that at this very moment, ha!)

in 2013, i'm going to challenge myself more: step out more boldly in my faith and be unapologetic in my beliefs and convictions. (don't worry, this doesn't mean i'm going to show up at your door and shove a Bible down your throat.) for the first time in my life, my heart literally breaks for those i love that don't have a personal and close relationship with our Savior. i'm going to be more transparent in my walk and in my struggles. being a Christian is NOT about being perfect. the beauty of being a Christian is despite my infinite flaws, i have a Creator who loves me and wants me to draw near to his heart. i am over the legalistic side of religion (that word literally makes me vomit) and my convictions are to share the love and FREEDOM of Christ.

we are so very blessed. every one of you who have taken stock in our lives, to no matter what degree, you have blessed us. thank you for reading this blog, looking at the many, MANY pictures i splatter everywhere and for being genuinely invested in us. i thank Jesus for all of you. ALL OF YOU.

and as if you haven't seen them before, i'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures from 2012.

...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. {ephesians 3: 17- 19}